Tim Cook-Led Apple to destroy $8 billion dollar a year industry

In the biggest Apple education event yet, Apple has announced it will work with McGraw Hill and Houghtin Milltin and Pearson three of the largest textbook companies in the world. They will release a set of digital, interactive textbooks that teachers and students alike will enjoy. The education event comes in the form of software called iBooks 2, which is basically a huge update of the current version. Apple said that iPads are being adopted in more and more schools and will eventually make all textbooks digital. Personally, I give two thumbs up to Apple. I truly believe that Apple will transform the education industry, one less textbook at a time. Apple has a way of doing things that not a lot of other companies can do. The thing that will really get schools’ attentions is that these portable, interactive textbooks will go for $15. This will save schools a lot of money, especially those who have already adopted iPads into schools. Apple, in order to get schools to respond even more positively should be selling their iPads cheaper to schools then they are to everyone not in the education field.

Another thing that I viewed that goes outside the box is the fact that teachers can create their own interactive textbooks through Apple’s iBooks Author, allowing educators to have their own content in their own textbooks that they make. So professors, teachers, and others, instead of having to have textbooks from textbook industry companies they can create a textbook covering what they feel students should know, following the standards too of course. Through this, I think Apple could make a Textbook store, allowing teachers and educators who would put in the time to make these textbooks could make a small profit and because of this would be less likely to go on strike due to bad pay I think that if Apple really holds on to this realm, the people of the world could be saying goodbye to bulky paper textbooks and bad backs and hello to electronic, interactive, almost weightless textbooks. Apple is about to destroy a $8 billion a year industry, just as they did with the music player, Apple will have yet a third monopoly. Currently, they have the music player industry and the tablet industry. Next, they will have textbooks and if other companies ignore this already fading opportunity then it will indefinitely stay that way. Let’s see how Apple pursues this extraordinary educational realm and we will see how Microsoft and Google will respond in the months to come. Tell me what you think. Would you use iTextbooks knowing they will be interactive and lighter than their much bigger papered predecessors or do you think Apple is just wasting it’s time? Please comment your answers.

I applaud to their efforts. Although Apple didn’t bring in any revolutionary technology into TextBooks, it certainly is leveraging it’s distribution channel (iTunes) in order to reach millions and millions of people.

Their link with education is long term strategy, because we will have millions of Americans who grew up with Apple computers and will resist to try anything new, which is a bad thing for competition….

Wow! That’s great news! It’s like a great breakthrough for both education and technology. I see where Apple is going with this and with the question “Would you use iTextbooks knowing they will be interactive and lighter than their much bigger papered predecessors?”, the answer is a definite YES! Of course, I’d love to ditch my heavy backpack for a slick and sexy iPad-like device… I can’t think of anyone who wants to carry the heavy paper books. But if there is, let him do it!

Good job you guys! You’re just wonderful. You never cease to amaze me. 🙂